Another Favor
by Earthling
Summary: The Enterprise crew are enlisted by Q to help themselves fight the Borg in an alternate reality. But has Jean-Luc already been there once before? Please R&R!
1. Default Chapter

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
This story takes place somewhere between the fifth and sixth seasons.  
  
"Q!"  
Fire erupted in the consoles behind, flinging sparks and bits of melting plastic across the Bridge.  
"Q!" the desperate shout for help sounded again. The ship rocked, knocking people over and starting more fires.  
Raylyn Picard stared out the front view screen at their attackers. The Borg cube had sustained heavy damage in its war with the Dominion, but it was still more than a match for the Enterprise. Raylyn sucked a breath in and took a chance to glance around the Bridge.  
The last volley had sent Ensign Harper careening away from the helm controls. Data was only now crawling back to Opps. Will still lay on the floor where he'd fallen ten minutes ago. Enterprise was falling down around her ears. She needed help.  
"Q, please!" she shouted into the air again. With a brilliant light, the being appeared on her Bridge.  
"You called?" he bowed his head in mock reverance.  
"Help us!" Raylyn pleaded. Q took his time observing the Bridge conditions before looking at the Borg cube, poised to strike the final blow.  
"My dear Raylyn" Q finally replied, "How many times have I told you that I simply cannot interfere with the natural order of things?" Raylyn took a step closer to him and pushed her finger into his chest.  
"Natural order of things?" she repeated in a deadly tone, "If you hadn't introduced us to the Borg, they probably wouldn't have taken any notice of us for years!" Q frowned but didn't respond.  
"Q, if you do not help us right now, you better believe that after I'm dead I will haunt you until time ends. And that'll just be the beginning of your torture"  
"Well, when you put it that way" Q made a swatting gesture with his hand and Raylyn watched as the Borg cube went flying away at nearly warp 10. Before Raylyn could bother to thank her rescuer, the turbolift doors opened and a medical team, supplemented by Wesley Crusher, frothed out.  
"Wes, we need you at Helm" Raylyn said, directing her younger brother to the empty station. For the moment she couldn't care less that he was no longer in Starfleet, she needed the best and he was it.  
"Mom?" the Commander redirected her attention to Beverly, who was kneeling next to Will.  
"He'll be fine" the Doctor replied.  
"Well if he's in no mortal danger, perhaps you should direct your attention to Raylyn" Q suggested. Beverly immediately stood and started scanning her daughter.  
"I'm fine" Raylyn denied.  
"I doubt it" Q muttered.  
"You have two broken ribs and one of them is very close to puncturing your lung" Beverly reported as she finished her scan, "Q, I need to get her to Sickbay without moving her" Q snapped his fingers and Raylyn found herself lying on a medbed while the Doctor worked.  
"Geordi!" she called into the air, "What've we got?"  
"Raylyn!" Beverly scolded.  
"I'm not going to just lie here and waste my time" Raylyn replied, "Geordi?"  
"It's a mess down here, Commander" Geordi replied, shouting over the sounds of warning claxons and more exploding consoles, "The coolant injectors are leaking, the hyperdrive system is fried, even the dilithium is scrap!" Raylyn felt her heart sink a little.  
"How long for repairs?" she asked.  
"Without a service station? At least a couple weeks" Geordi replied, "I could sure use Data down here"  
"All right. Start doing what you can" Raylyn ordered.  
"Aye, sir" Sickbay doors swished open and Will, escorted by two nurses, staggered in.  
"How is she?" he asked.  
"I'm fine" Raylyn answered, "How're you?"  
"I'm fine" he answered.  
"You have a concussion, Will" Wyatt corrected, coming in behind his friend, "You're not fine. Lie down" Will tried to argue but did as he was told.  
"Deanna!" Raylyn called verbally.  
/Yes?/ her cousin replied.  
/I need you on the Bridge/ Raylyn said /Oh, and tell Data to get down to Engineering/ Deanna acknowledged and broke off.  
"Well, it seems my work here is done" Q, who had been standing around uselessly, the whole time, said and raised his hand as if to snap his fingers.  
"Don't you dare go anywhere" Raylyn snapped savagely, "You got us into this mess, and now you're going to get out"  
The Command crew sat around the conference table, with one notable exception. Captain Jean-Luc Picard had been killed in the first battle with the Borg, 6 months ago. He had sacrificed himself to save Enterprise. Will Riker had taken command of Enterprise.  
"The ship sustained heavy damage" Data was reporting, "The hull was breached in several sections and many of our main systems are down"  
"We sustained heavy casualties as well" Beverly added.  
"50 were killed," Wyatt told them, "And nearly another 200 were seriously injured"  
"At the moment most of the crew are still running on crisis mode" Deanna said, "But as soon as the urgency had faded, I expect there will be a general emotional melt down"  
"We've had to deal with those before" Will said, "Geordi, what's the status on the engines?"  
"Wesley and I have come up with some new designs that should allow us to get hyperdrive back online sooner than I thought" Geordi replied.  
"I estimate we should have hyperdirve back in 8 days, Captain" Data added.  
"Till then we're flying on minimal impulse" Wesley reported.  
"We won't make it through another attack" Raylyn realized aloud.  
"That's where you come in" Riker said. Everyone turned to give Q, seated at the foot of the table, expectant looks.  
"How so?" the arrogant nearly all powerful being asked.  
"You're here to help aren't you?" Will demanded.  
"Against my will" Q replied, giving Raylyn a scathing look. No one knew how Raylyn got Q to do what she asked (or more often told) but he usually did, with copious amounts of complaints and snide comments.  
"So help!" Riker said.  
"And just what would you like me to do, Captain?" Q inquired. He emphasized the title. (Q had wanted Raylyn to succeed her father)  
His question had brought a reigning silence. Nobody, not even Raylyn, had thought about what they wanted him to do. Now that they were, they realized he could do anything. He could blink and make the Borg just not exist anymore.  
"Well, what is it that we need?" Deanna voiced.  
"We need something to fight the Borg with" Geordi replied.  
"You would ask me to do what you yourselves wouldn't" Q scoffed, "Violate your own Prime Directive?"  
"No" Raylyn answered, "I don't think weapons are the solution here"  
"What do you mean?" her husband asked.  
"A gun is only as good as the man who holds it" Raylyn answered cryptically.  
"Are you suggesting that Q somehow enhance us, Commander?" Data asked.  
"No, Data. What we need is a strategy. What we need is information. A different view point, fresh minds"  
"Ah, now that I think I can help with!" Q exclaimed, a twinkle in his eye that usually meant trouble for someone.  
"Q, what are you doing?" Raylyn asked, sounding much as if she were the mother of a Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn.  
"Back in a flash" was all Q said and disappeared in a blaze of light. 


	2. Another Enterprise

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
AN: Things get tricky here and it may be difficult to tell which character is talking. So here are some ground rules:  
When together, the group from the alternate reality (Raylyn's ship) shall be referred to by their first names, and their counterparts by their last. When separated, this may vary.  
Data, having no last name, is different. The alternate Data is DataA, while the other (the "real" Data) is just Data.  
Jean-Luc, Worf, Wesley, Wyatt and Raylyn have no counterparts so that shouldn't be a problem.  
  
He reappeared on the Bridge of a very different Enterprise.  
"Q!" Jean-Luc cried, rising from his chair.  
"Ah! Mon Capitan! Always a pleasure!" Q replied with a little bow.  
"What do you want, Q?" Jean-Luc demanded. He happened to be looking forward to a quiet mission.  
"Not what I want, Jean-Luc! It's what you want!" Q replied.  
"What are you talking about, Q?" Riker asked, standing himself. Q regarded him for a moment.  
"You know, I think I like you better in green" Jean-Luc caught the reference. Enlightenment dawned and an unsettling worry found home in his heart.  
"What's happened?" he asked calmly, losing any irritation that had sprung up.  
"Raylyn requests your assistance" Q replied cryptically.  
"My assistance?" Jean-Luc tried to clarify. What could he possibly offer them? Had the other Picard not been returned to them?  
"Actually, all of you!" Q responded, throwing his arms apart to indicate the whole ship, "Even pea brain up there" and he nodded at Worf.  
"Sir, isn't Raylyn your daughter in the alternate reality?" Deanna asked from her seat.  
"Yes" Jean-Luc nodded.  
"Why would they need our help?" Will asked.  
"I don't know" Jean-Luc replied slowly. He was wracking his brain, trying to figure out if this was one of Q's tricks, and if it was what the catch would be.  
"Tick tock, Captain" Q said, "Do you run to your daughter's aid, or not?"  
"I don't feel as if I have a choice, Q" Jean-Luc replied. That was all the answer Q needed.  
"Delightful!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together, "This is going to be fun!" And in the next instant Enterprise was gone.  
  
"Captain to the Bridge!" an alarmed voice called. Everyone raced out of the conference room.  
"Sir, there's a ship!" the Lieutenant working Opps. announced as Will and Raylyn took their seats. Data replaced the Lt. And Wesley took helm.  
"It appears to be the Enterprise" Data announced.  
"Surprised?" Q popped in.  
"What have you done, Q?" Raylyn asked, though this time she did not sound so nearly alarmed as she had a moment ago.  
"You said you needed help" Q replied, "I brought help"  
"From where?" Raylyn wanted to know.  
"It's the same Jean-Luc Picard that was here before" Q answered.  
"And his entire crew" Will said.  
"What's the matter, Riker?" Q asked, "Afraid to look in the mirror?"  
"Thank you, Q" Raylyn said quickly before her husband had the chance to say anything.  
"Ah, Raylyn! I can always count on you to be sensible!" Q exclaimed with affection.  
"It's from the many years of association with you, Q" Raylyn responded. This greatly pleased the omnipotent being, which of course Raylyn knew it would.  
"All too true!" Q crowed, "Now then, I'll leave you to it!" And with that he vanished.  
"Why do you."  
"You have to know when to trust him, Will" Raylyn explained, "He didn't bring them here for nothing. There must be something they can do to help" Will frowned but nodded.  
"Hail them, Mr. Alf" he ordered the security officer. A second later, Jean-Luc's face appeared on the view screen.  
"Will! It's good to see you again!" the older man greeted him warmly. Will didn't reply right away, his gaze riveted on the mirror image of himself, only dressed in red.  
"And you, Captain" he finally replied. He wasn't the only one staring past the Captain.  
/Are you all right, Imzadi?/ Raylyn asked.  
/I can feel her/ Deanna replied, /It's a strange feeling/  
/I'm sure she feels the same way/ Raylyn assured her.  
"You're ship appears to be needing some repairs" Jean-Luc noted. He thought for a moment that this was what Q had brought them for.  
"We've just escaped an encounter with the Borg" Will informed him.  
"The Borg" Jean-Luc breathed. That was why Q had brought them. To help fight the Borg.  
"Then the war is over" he inquired.  
"It's been over for nearly a year" Will replied, "It only took them a few months to regroup and come after us"  
"I see" Jean-Luc said, "Well, how can we help?"  
  
"You'll have to ask Ray that" Will replied. The picture on Jean-Luc's view screen shifted to focus on a face that had until now been completely obscured. Behind him, he heard both Riker and Troi pull in startled breaths.  
Raylyn was every bit as beautiful as she had been the last time Jean- Luc had seen her, if a bit older. (Jean-Luc wondered just how many years had passed since then) Her hair was as long and dark as before, still fluttering around her face and shoulders. Riker and Troi's attention was first drawn to her nose, which was an exact replica of their Captain's, and next to her striking resemblance to Troi.  
"Bonjour, Papa" she smiled, "It is.good to see you again" Jean-Luc felt there was an underlying meaning in that, but this was not the place to ask.  
"Q said you requested our assistance" Jean-Luc told her. Raylyn rolled her eyes.  
"Not in so many words" she replied, "But I think he got it right. Well, there's a lot to go over. Perhaps we should get together?"  
"Captain!" Both Troi's had spoken at the same time. Jean-Luc turned to his.  
"I'm not sure that would be such a good idea" she told him.  
"I agree" her counterpart concurred.  
"Look" Raylyn addressed everyone, "I know this will be awkward. But it's going to take all of us working together if we're to accomplish anything"  
Nobody offered any arguments. Troi and Riker were inwardly smiling at this stranger's sense of command, so obviously inherited from her father.  
"Well, then" Jean-Luc smiled, "Your ship or mine?" 


	3. Confrontation

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
Jean-Luc's crew were forced to transport themselves over, as their sister ship's transporters were still down. Raylyn and Will were waiting for them.  
"Papa" Raylyn greeted Jean-Luc with a kiss on each cheek. Will shook his hand.  
"Welcome aboard, Captain" he said. It was only then Jean-Luc noticed the new pip on the man's uniform.  
"Thank you, Captain" Jean-Luc replied, "I see you've been promoted" Will and Raylyn exchanged a look. Jean-Luc was about to ask, but Raylyn smiled at the rest of his command crew.  
"It's nice to meet you all" she said, "If you'll follow us, we'll join the others" As everyone filed out of the transporter room, Will and Riker were giving each other appraising looks.  
"I see Q was right" Will finally said. Riker tilted his head, ready to fight.  
"I look better in red" Will finished. Both men grinned.  
/Are you telepathic?/ Troi was quite surprised by the voice in her head.  
/Yes/ she replied. Raylyn was ahead of her, next to the Captain.  
/Do you miss speaking telepathically?/ she asked.  
/Not really/ Troi answered.  
/I would!/ Raylyn admitted, /I would probably go crazy without Deanna around/  
/You're Imzadi!/ Troi exclaimed, hearing it in Raylyn's thoughts.  
/Yes/ the other woman replied, /Papa didn't tell you?/  
/No. He told us very little, actually/ Troi responded.  
/I suppose no one should know too much about the different outcomes of their lives/ Raylyn noted, /Still I wonder if you shouldn't be informed about the relationships between our command crew/  
/What do you mean?/ Troi asked, but just then they arrived at one of the larger conference rooms and they were all ushered inside. Thus they came face to face with their counterparts.  
There was a stunned moment while everyone tried to get used to seeing themselves.  
"I believe everyone knows each other" Raylyn said, pulling a seat out and sitting. The two groups took opposing sides of the table, while Jean- Luc took the head. The doors slid open to admit a new comer.  
"Wesley!" Jean-Luc greeted him loudly.  
"Dad!" the young man made to give his step father a hug, but the sound of his mother's voice stopped him.  
"Dad?!" The two groups exchanged glances. This was indeed going to be odd.  
"Personal issues can be sorted out later" Jean-Luc said, "For now, let's discuss the problem at hand"  
"The problem is the Borg" Geordi piped up.  
"Well, that's nothing new" LaForge added.  
"It is for us" Will told him.  
"Will, perhaps you had better start at the beginning" Jean-Luc suggested.  
"We only just encountered the Borg a few years ago" Will started, "When Q decided to introduce us"  
"He seems fond of doing that" Riker said.  
"You too?" Will asked. His counterpart nodded.  
"Since then, we've had almost no contact with them" Raylyn went on.  
"It is our belief that they were on their way to this sector when they encountered the Dominion" Data reported.  
"Who are the Dominion?" Crusher asked.  
"It's a long story, Doctor, Data, please continue" Jean-Luc answered.  
  
"That is all, sir" Data told him.  
"That's all you know about the Borg" LaForge asked. Data nodded. LaForge whistled.  
"Boy, you guys do need help"  
"I take it you've had a lot more contact with them" Will said.  
"You could say that" Riker replied. This brought attention, at least for one side of the table, to a noticeable absence.  
"Where is my counter part?" Jean-Luc asked. Raylyn gave both Deanna and Will a look.  
"Papa died six months ago in our first battle with the Borg" Raylyn told them quietly.  
"He crashed a small ship with an overloading core into one of their ships" Will expounded.  
"So, he was never assimilated" Riker surmised.  
"Assimilated" Will repeated, "By the Borg?"  
"No" Beverly seemed to shutter at the idea. Her counterpart wondered at that.  
"Why do you ask?" Deanna asked slowly. Something of the sort had obviously happened in their world, but here was their Captain, sitting with them, and he was not Borg.  
"Because I was" Jean-Luc said quietly.  
"You were assimilated?" Wesley cried, the disbelief very evident in his tone.  
"I don't understand" Raylyn admitted. Jean-Luc prepared himself to face the memories.  
"I was captured and assimilated by the Borg. I led, as Locutus, an attack on a Federation outpost which resulted in heavy losses"  
"But.you're.here" Geordi pointed out.  
"We were able to recapture him and remove the Borg implants" Crusher explained.  
"Well, I guess old Q was right. It certainly provides a new point of view" Wyatt said from his seat. His cousin gave him an annoyed look.  
"Well, that is what you said we needed, sis" Wesley pointed out.  
"Sis?" Crusher repeated. Tensions in the room were rising.  
"Wes is right" Will said, hoping to stave.whatever was coming.off, "We needed information and you seem to have it"  
"How long will it take to make repairs to your ship?" Jean-Luc asked.  
  
"I have estimated 8 days, sir" DataA replied.  
"I estimated nearly 2 weeks, sir" the other Data reported. The two androids considered each other for a second.  
"You have no doubt not accounted for Wesley's presence" DataA said.  
"What does Wesley have to do with it?" Riker asked.  
"Wesley's help improves repair time, usually quite drastically" DataA answered. Data lifted his brows and made the "Hrm" sound he made when he found something interesting.  
"All right. Will" Jean-Luc turned to 'his' son-in-law, "I have a suggestion. While you make your repairs, we'll teach you everything we know about the Borg"  
"Giving you a five year head start" Riker told them.  
"That's certainly an advantage we could use" Will replied, "Maybe in the process we can give you something"  
"I think the best thing would be for each person to work in their own expertise" Jean-Luc added, "That means that you'll each have to be working with your counterparts" Nobody argued but he got a lot of grim looks.  
"Mr. LaForge, perhaps you can help with repairs as well?" LaForge nodded, "Doctor, I expect the Data you collected from Hugh will be immensely valuable. Mr. Worf, I'd like you to work with the Data's on their weaponry systems. Also, I want you to heighten security." Jean-Luc added and then turned to Raylyn and Will, "I think it best if the fewest possible people are forced to encounter their other selves"  
"I agree" Raylyn said and her husband nodded. Then she stood with a smile.  
"For now, I think we should all get a good night's rest" she said, "We can start fresh in the morning" Everybody agreed with that and all rose. Wesley offered to take them back to the transporter room, though they could've found it on their own.  
"Jean-Luc!" Will called the Captain back. Troi and Riker decided to hang back and wait for him.  
"We wondered if you would come to dinner" they heard Raylyn say.  
"Oh, I don't know."  
"Just Will and the kids and I" she said quickly.  
"You'd be surprised at how much J.W. has grown" Will added, "And you've never met the girls"  
Jean-Luc tugged on the bottom of his uniform. He would indeed love to see his grandson again, and get the chance to meet his granddaughters. His more recent experiences with children and grandchildren had had such a great impact on him, that he could not pass up the chance to resume the role, if only for a night.  
"Yes, all right" he agreed with a grin, already brimming in anticipation.  
Behind him, Troi and Riker exchanged looks and headed off to the transporter without him. 


	4. Family Update

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
Will had been right about J.W. The boy had grown a great deal and the top of his head nearly reached Jean-Luc's chest. With his dark hair and blue eyes, he looked almost exactly like Will, except in the nose, which more closely resembled his mother's.  
"What are you doing home?" Will asked as they walked in.  
"Grandpapa?" J.W. said, staring at Jean-Luc.  
"Hello, J.W." Picard smiled. A thoughtful look overcame the boy and he turned to his mother.  
"Oh" he suddenly said, "That's it" Raylyn had obviously explained telepathically. J.W. was only one quarter Betazoid, but the talents had obviously carried over.  
"Now, I thought you were supposed to be at school" the boy's father said.  
"Ensign Anders let us out early because of the attack" J.W. replied.  
"Ah" Will gave Raylyn a look and went to the replicator to start preparing dinner.  
"How did you get back?" the boy inquired, following his grandfather to the couch.  
"Q brought me to help against the Borg" Jean-Luc replied.  
"Dad doesn't like Q, but Mom says he's not that bad" J.W. informed him, "We aren't allowed to talk to him unless Mom says we can" And the young boy rolled his eyes to show his opinion of that rule.  
"J.W., go help your father with dinner" Raylyn ordered, "The twins will be home any minute" J.W. hurried away to do as he was told and Jean- Luc watched.  
"How old is he?" he asked.  
"He just turned 10" Raylyn answered.  
"That's nearly 8 years" Jean-Luc said, "A short war"  
"For the Borg and Dominion maybe" Raylyn replied, "Personally I wouldn't have minded if it had lasted another 50 years" Jean-Luc had to smile. A 50 or 60 year war certainly would have left more time for the Federation and it's allies to prepare.  
Just then the doors opened and 5 young children ran in the door, followed closely by Laal, who looked disheveled.  
"Oh, Laal!" Raylyn cried, dismayed.  
"I'm sorry, Aunt Ray" Laal apologized, "I could not catch them" Jean- Luc, while cringing at all the screaming, was amused.  
"Ian, Andrew, Ana! Front and center" 2 brown heads and one blonde hurried to line up in front of their Aunt. She narrowed her eyes and they all bowed their heads as she telepathically scolded them.  
Jean-Luc took the chance to look the children over. These were Deanna and Wyatt's children. They too had been much younger when he had last seen them.  
Andrew and Ana were both dark haired, while Ian was blonde. None of them were quite as tall as their slightly younger cousin, but the family resemblance was unmistakable. They had all inherited the brown, pupil-less eyes of the Betazoids, but none of them looked more like one parent than the other. They were, apparently, every bit as rambunctious as they had been 8 years earlier, however. Jean-Luc tried to stifle a chuckle. He didn't know what Deanna Troi could have done in her childhood to deserve three such hellions, but he would be interested in finding out. He suspected Raylyn had been a great influence.  
"But they started it!" Andrew cried, pointing a finger towards the dinner table, beneath which two small figures were crouching. Will and J.W. were continuing on with their preparations, completely ignoring everything that was going on.  
"You are three years older than them and you should know better!" Raylyn replied, "Now I want you to stay with Laal all the way to your quarters, or the next time Aunt Lwaxana is here, you will be getting an earful!" The triplets looked appropriately chastised and threatened as they trudged after Laal.  
"And you two!" The two young girls scrambled out from beneath the table. They hurried to line up in front of their mother and both began at the same time to try and argue their case. Now Will left the setting of the table to his son and joined his wife.  
Jean-Luc's eyes were glittering with laughter. Children, even in all of their aggravations, were such joys. And these two were apparently quite capable of creating much aggravation.  
Jean-Luc was not surprised to find that both girl's were dark haired and dark eyed. Neither had any vestiges of the Picard nose. (A welcome happetance for them as their bone structure would not have supported it as beautiful as did their mother's) Their long hair was held back in French braids and they wore identical outfits. Fortunately, they were not identical twins and were not to tell apart.  
"Stop!" Will ordered, using his commanding voice. Both girls immediately fell silent.  
"You two are still on probation for hijacking Uncle Wyatt's chemistry lab last month" Raylyn reminded them, "And this is the third day in a row you've left Laal in the corridors"  
"But we don't need Laal!" one of the girls cried.  
"Yeah. Even if old Featherbrain tried to kidnap us again, we beat him the first time!" her sister added.  
"You were lucky" their father corrected.  
"Uncle Geordi said we were ingenious" the first girl said arrogantly. Jean-Luc was very interested in this story, but he knew it would have to wait.  
"That's not the point" Raylyn said firmly, "The point is that you need to learn to follow rules and do what you're told" The girls frowned and lowered their defiant chins.  
"You're punishment is being extended" Will told them, "No computer access for two months, you're classes with Data are cancelled until next quarter, you're not going on any holideck adventures with Uncle Wesley, and if you are caught anywhere on this ship that is not between here and the school room, you will spend the entirety of next summer on Betazed with Grandmother Lwaxana" This decree had the two children paling. Jean-Luc wondered if the parents were being too harsh.  
"Ah! No appealing to me!" Raylyn cried, "You are the Captain's children and you should be setting an example. A good example!"  
"But our lessons with Uncle Data!" the second girl cried in dismay.  
"You don't get special treatment if you can't act like special children" Will said. The girls sighed and nodded in resignation.  
"Now go wash your hands for dinner" Raylyn ordered to tenderly with a telepathic wave of understanding. She once had been just as they were.  
"Hello, Grandpapa" the girls said simultaneously, both lifting a hand as they trudged past. Then they stopped and looked back. They both studied him curiously for a moment. Jean-Luc remained relaxed, sitting on the couch while they considered.  
"Focus on it" Raylyn tutored them, "What is it?"  
"He's Grandpapa" one girl said.  
"But he's not from here" the other added.  
"You're from a different reality!" the first girl cried.  
"That's right" Jean-Luc nodded, "I was here once before, before you were born" The two girls took up positions on either side of him.  
"Did Q bring you?" the girl on his left asked.  
"How did you know that?" Jean-Luc asked. The girl on the right shrugged.  
"It makes sense"  
"Picard to Crusher"  
"Go ahead"  
"Morgan and Mary won't be coming tonight"  
"Oh dear" Beverly sounded amused and worried at the same time. Jean- Luc turned to the girls.  
"So which of you is Morgan and which is Mary?" he asked.  
"I'm Morgan" the left said.  
"And I'm Mary" the right added.  
"Dinner's ready" J.W. called and the family joined him at the table.  
Jean-Luc spent the rest of the evening being regaled by long lists of the children's activities and accomplishments, and more colorful stories of their escapades with their cousins. He was not surprised by the range of their studies, but he was somewhat surprised by the levels. His grandchildren could very well be regarded as geniuses.  
After a while, the children were sent off to bed. Jean-Luc was enlisted in helping to tuck them in.  
"Bon soir, Grandpapa" J.W. called as Will flicked off his light.  
"Bon soir, Grandpapa!" the girls called, not to be outdone.  
"Bon soir, mon petite cheri" Jean-Luc called back. He rejoined his daughter and son-in-law with an extraordinary fulfilled feeling.  
"I'm surprised you two can stand to stay awake with those three" he laughed, taking a cup of tea from Raylyn.  
"They're certainly a handful" Will agreed.  
"It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so smart" Raylyn said, "Not that having genius children isn't wonderful. It's just that the trouble they get into is so much more serious"  
"I'm sure your Aunt could say the same of you and your cousin" Jean- Luc said. Raylyn smiled.  
"Very likely"  
"Speaking of cousins, I find myself in sore need of a family update" Jean-Luc sipped his tea.  
  
"Oh," Will said, "You've hit upon Ray's favorite subject" He set his glass down and rose.  
"If you'll excuse me, I promised Data and Geordi we'd go over the damage report before morning" He bent a bit and kissed his wife, who had turned her face up with a smile.  
"Jean-Luc"  
"Will" And with a nod the man was gone. Jean-Luc turned to his daughter who launched into a detailed recap of the lives of each family member. She was only just finishing and he was holding back a yawn as she walked him to the transporter. 


	5. Briefing

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
Jean-Luc sipped his tea while he waited for Beverly. They still had another two hours before they were expected on the other ship. Jean-Luc himself wasn't needed, but he was transporting over with everyone else anyway, fully expecting to be back aboard his own ship as soon as everyone had dispersed.  
"Come!" he called when he heard a chime. Beverly walked in...leading Will, Deanna, Data and Geordi. Jean-Luc stood, immediately concerned. His crew very rarely sought him out in his personal quarters.  
"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked. Deanna was shunted to the front of the group, obviously the speaker.  
"Captain" she started, clasping her hands and putting one of her 'councilor' smiles on, "We have a request. We think that, if we're going to be working so closely with our counterparts, we should know a little about the circumstances"  
"I see" Jean-Luc replied, slowly sitting down again.  
"There are a lot of questions which may serve as distractions, sir" Data pointed out.  
"I know for me, it was very unsettling to walk into that room and see Wyatt" Deanna added, "I had no idea what his relationship with my counterpart was and I felt as if I didn't know how to act around him"  
"I see what you mean" Jean-Luc said, "I'm sure you all have a lot of questions"  
"Well I for one would like to know why Wesley called you Dad" Beverly said, sliding into a seat and propping her head on her hand, waiting for an explanation.  
"And who is J.W.?" Will added, "And why was I wearing green?" Jean- Luc smiled. He had originally withheld all of this information, chiefly to spare his friends the incessant wondering about the possibilities, and worrying about what happens in those other lives. Current circumstances, however, seemed to have eliminated that option.  
"All right" he said, nodding to assure himself he'd made the right decision, "I suppose it is better I tell you" He offered everyone a seat and a cup of tea while he considered where to start. The best thing to do, he concluded, was to go chronologically.  
"As you know, Raylyn is my daughter" he started, "With a Betazoid woman named Chaza..." he paused, steeling himself for their reactions, "Troi"  
  
"Troi?" Geordi repeated.  
"Yes. She was Lwaxana Troi's younger sister. She was killed when Raylyn was just a baby" he hurried on to avoid any 'humorous' comments, "At the time, I had only just been promoted to Commander, and as I couldn't take a baby with me, Lwaxana offered to raise her with Kestra and Deanna"  
"That's why they're Imzadi" Deanna said.  
"Who?" Will asked.  
"Deanna and Raylyn" Jean-Luc answered quickly, hoping to get on with his dissertation, without too many interruptions, "Now, when I took command of the Stargazer, Ray come to live with me..."  
He got through most of the tale without too much interruption. His friends seemed fascinated with not only the differences in their lives, but also the similarities. Will looked a little shocked when Jean-Luc told him he was married to his daughter and they had 3 children. Deanna seemed only surprised that she had rambunctious triplets. Beverly bit her lip when he said they'd married. Data was very interested in the fact that his daughter, Laal, had survived here.  
Jean-Luc inserted here his experiences during his last Q-sponsored visit to this alternate reality. Geordi and Will both laughed when he told them about his first "family dinner".  
"Now then, last night Raylyn brought me up to date on some other details" Jean-Luc said, "Jason has married and has four children. He's taken over governing Kamor V. My nephew, Renee, has joined Starfleet. Wesley dropped out of the Academy and is studying with the Traveler. Geordi, she tells me that you've recently married a nice young woman named Aquiel and are expecting your first child"  
Now that he was finished, the younger officers exchanged glances.  
"Well, this reality is certainly...interesting" Beverly commented.  
"I for one find it fascinating" Deanna said chipperly, "What a change a few minor differences can make"  
Jean-Luc nodded, "Mmm. I agree Councilor"  
"I wouldn't call Raylyn a 'minor' anything" Will objected. Jean-Luc smiled.  
"No" he agreed, "she certainly is strong willed"  
"I wonder where she gets that from" Beverly smirked.  
"Between my family and yours, Captain, I'm surprised she isn't running all of Starfleet" Deanna said.  
"Well, there are certainly enough people who think she's trying to" he replied.  
"What do you mean?" Geordi asked.  
"Come on, Geordi!" Will exclaimed, "The entire command crew of Starfleet's flagship are family?"  
"There are bound to be suspicious of conspiracy" Data said.  
"Yes, exactly" Jean-Luc said, "There are those who believe we're trying to turn the Federation into some sort of monarchy"  
"It probably doesn't help that we're all among the best in our fields" Beverly added.  
"Mmm" Jean-Luc nodded, "Especially now, with the Borg threat and Starfleet relying so heavily upon us"  
"And with all this information we're about to give them, that suspicion is probably only going to escalate" Geordi predicted.  
"There have already been several assassination attempts, which the family has tried to keep quiet. Raylyn's twins were even kidnapped, though they managed to escape within a few hours of their abduction"  
"They? Escaped? By themselves?" Will asked, "I thought you said they were only seven"  
"Morgan and Mary are very exceptional seven year olds" Jean-Luc replied, "In more than one way"  
Will felt an odd sort of second hand pride for the offspring of his other self. True, there were a lot of differences, but there were enough similarities for him to start dreaming about being the father of geniuses himself, someday. Deanna must have caught on to his train of thought because she gave him a soft, odd little smile.  
"Well, if you are all satisfied with everything" Jean-Luc said, standing, "I believe we're expecting ourselves"  
Everyone smiled at his small joke as they walked towards the transporter room together.  
"Captain!" Data called. Jean-Luc stopped just before entering the room with the others. The Captain turned back to the man that he had come to believe was the closest thing to a son he would ever have.  
"Yes, Data?"  
"You said that my counterpart had succeeded in creating a stable neural net for Laal" Jean-Luc recalled saying no such thing. He had said that Laal had survived. It translated to the same thing.  
"Yes" he replied.  
"It would be...educational to examine the neural net my counterpart created and compare it to the one I created" Data said.  
"Do you think you could figure out what went wrong?" Jean-Luc asked.  
"It is possible, sir" Data replied. The Captain thought about it for a moment.  
"Hmm. Well, I don't think it's my decision to make. You'll have to talk to Captain Riker and the other Data" Data nodded.  
"There you are" Raylyn said when the two had transported over.  
"Commander LaForge, Wes and Geordi have already started work" Will said.  
"They're looking forward to your help" Raylyn added.  
"Doctor, I'm sure you can find your way to Sickbay?" Crusher nodded and took off with Geordi.  
"The rest of us are going to the Bridge" Raylyn smiled and started to head off.  
"Right. I'll see you all later then" Jean-Luc nodded at everyone. His daughter turned back.  
"Actually, Papa, I was hoping you'd stay for a while" she flicked a glance at Troi but didn't explain further. Jean-Luc frowned. He had been hoping that, with all the other information they were providing, his daughter would not feel the need to interrogate him. He should have known better.  
"Of course" he replied and followed the rest of the group to the Bridge. 


	6. On the Job

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
"These implants are....remarkable!" Wyatt breathed, studying one of the files Crusher had brought with her.  
"Remarkable" she repeated, "And damn hard to remove" Wyatt looked up.  
"Oh, yes" he said, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He had to remember that this woman had had to deal with these so much more than he and that they had most likely left their scar. If not physically then emotionally.  
"Don't mind Wyatt" Beverly said, patting his arm, "he gets excited about plagues" Wyatt gave her a bashful smile. He couldn't help it if he found even the deadliest of innovations fascinating. He was, after all, a research doctor. Crusher let the corners of her lips turn up.  
"Here are the eye attachments" she said, handing a pad to Beverly. The Doctor took a second to study it.  
"Do they remove the eye?" she asked.  
"No" Crusher replied, "They put the wires right through"  
"Doesn't that destroy the cornea?" Wyatt asked.  
"Only minimally" Crusher told him and they all bent over the computer screen while she explained.  
Both Beverly and Crusher were surprised at how easy it was to work together. They completely forgot that they were the same person. (Albeit from different realities) It felt more like working with a sister or best friend, who was not only talented, but also attuned to each other's thoughts. Indeed, instead of being uncomfortable, it was actually quite enjoyable.  
Wyatt too was surprised. In fact, if his own Doctor hadn't had longer hair, he feared he never would have been able to tell them apart.  
"So...Wesley dropped out of the Academy, did he?" Crusher asked calmly, looking as if it were merely the weather she had been asking about.  
"That's right" Beverly replied, "About four years ago. He studies with the Traveler now"  
"That's interesting" Crusher said, "Lately my Wesley has been sounding...dissatisfied"  
"Getting into trouble, letting his grades slip, not talking to his friends?" Beverly asked.  
"Yes!" Crusher replied in an exasperated tone. Beverly nodded.  
"Wesley did the same thing. I just couldn't figure out what was wrong. And then...." And the two women were off, chattering on and on about their sons, intermittently with questions and answers about the Borg implants. By the time they decided to take a break, they were talking like they had been life long friends.  
  
"All right, people, let's get moving. Barclay, you and Varnos get on those Tucker relays. Mesnil and Korsovich, I want you to coordinate the repair crews. I don't want anyone wasting time. Bulkheads first" Geordi doled out orders quickly, but with an air of trust that made everyone calm a bit and feel a surge of confidence.  
"Wes" Geordi lowered his voice a bit. Wesley was standing right next to him, "I want you to work on the hyperdrive. Do...what you do" Wesley grinned.  
"You bet, Commander"  
"Okay, people, let's go to work!" He clapped his hands and everyone broke off into little groups to carry out their orders. LaForge watched Barclay walk away.  
"Is he as bad here as he is on my ship?" he asked in a whisper. Wesley grinned again.  
"Worse" he replied and took himself off to work on the hyperdrive.  
"What do you want me to do?" LaForge asked, turning to his counterpart. He knew what he would do next, but this wasn't his engine room. He knew how he'd feel if he started trying to do things his way.  
"I want to get to that deflector weapon you were talking about" Geordi replied, "And I need to go over that information about the Borg cubes with you. But first, Data wants power for the weapons manifold, the Doctors want the replicators and the shield harmonics have been fluctuating"  
"Sounds like we could use a couple more Wesley's" LaForge said, glancing over at the young man. He was still surprised by how much older he looked. Their timelines were definitely not in conjunction.  
"I wish!" Geordi exclaimed and then he stopped. LaForge recognized that look.  
"What?"  
"Maybe we can get a few more" he said and tapped his badge" Geordi to Captain Riker"  
"Go ahead" Will's voice came back.  
"Will, I was wondering if I could borrow Morgan and Mary for a while"  
  
"What for?" Will asked. Geordi gave his counterpart a look.  
"I could use their help down here?" he answered, "I'm spread pretty thin"  
"You know they're not allowed near the computers" Will told him. LaForge was trying to figure out who Morgan and Mary were. He thought he remembered Picard saying something about them, but he didn't say anything about guests or prisoners. Who else wouldn't be allowed near computers?  
"I'll keep an eye on them" Geordi assured his Captain. LaForge was contemplating the circumstances. In many ways, Geordi was the same person he looked at everyday in the mirror. But there were so many minute differences! He had to wonder, would he implore the Captain for help from someone restricted from computer use? Would he push, the way his counterpart was? Certainly not with Captain Picard. But Will? Would he take advantage of their friendship that way? Was it really taking advantage?  
"All right" Will finally answered, "But I don't want their heads blowing up"  
"I'll see what I can do, Captain" Geordi replied with a triumphant grimace.  
"Good. Now I've got time for you to show me how you used the deflector dish to fight the Borg" Geordi smiled in enthusiastic anticipation.  
"Lead the way" LaForge said and Geordi led him to his favorite work station. LaForge was just bringing up the first diagram when his counterpart suddenly looked up.  
"Aquiel!" he said, standing. LaForge turned around. A young woman, about 8 months pregnant, was standing in the doorway. LaForge breathed deeply, realizing this was his wife. Or rather, his counterpart's wife. She was beautiful, and he could tell she smiled a lot. Her uniform was blue, meaning she was either a scientist or a doctor.  
"What are you doing down here?" her husband demanded.  
"I'm helping" Aquiel replied, putting a hand over her enlarged abdomen.  
"You shouldn't be down here" Geordi told her. She brushed his concern away with the flip of her hand.  
"I need help realigning one of the transporter relays" she said. LaForge got up.  
"I'll go" he said. He didn't want to stick around and see anymore of this. Aquiel could be his future, but if she never was, he didn't want to have to relive this scene over and over in his head. He brushed past her, his arm tingling where they'd actually touched. He found his way easily to where she'd been working and quickly finished the realignment. He peeked around the wall and saw Aquiel leaving. Geordi must have convinced her that pregnant women weren't really safest in Engineering. He was just about to return to his counterpart when the sound of someone emerging from the Jeffery's tubes behind him made him turn.  
Two small figures dropped to the floor. They were little girls, both dark haired and obviously twins by their matching outfits. LaForge suddenly remembered where he'd heard the names Morgan and Mary.  
"Oh no" he said aloud.  
"What do you mean, oh no?" one of the girls asked.  
"Dad said you wanted us" the other one added.  
"You're seven years old!" LaForge reminded them, as if it had been their idea.  
"Seven and a half" they corrected simultaneously.  
"What's going on over here?" his own voice asked, "Oh, it's you two" Geordi said as soon as he laid eyes on them, "Crawling through the Jeffery's tubes again?"  
"The turbo lifts were crowded" the first girl (who happened to be Morgan) said.  
"It doesn't matter right now. Come on, I want your help with some stuff" Geordi replied and headed toward a couple of empty work stations.  
"Wait a second, are you crazy!?" LaForge cried, "They're kids!"  
"Look, I know they're young, but Data and I have been training them ourselves. They can handle it" his counterpart said. LaForge was not convinced. Geordi sighed. He didn't really have time for this, and technically he was in charge and didn't have to explain anything. But this was him he was talking to and he knew how stubborn he could be.  
"Look, you were the one that said we could use a couple more Wesley's"  
"Wesley isn't seven years old" LaForge pointed out.  
"Seven and a half!" the girls chorused behind him.  
"Right now, we can use all the help we can get. If the Borg show up anytime in the next few days, we're goners" Geordi replied. LaForge had to admit this was true. He was again confronted with the question of what he would do. He didn't like having the answer right in front of his face. This whole alternate reality thing was more trouble than it was worth.  
"All right" he agreed, "It's your reality"  
"Good" Geordi turned to the girls, "Mary, I want you to work on the shield harmonics. Morgan, see if you can find a way to get the replicators back online without diverting power from anywhere else. And neither one of you is to actually do anything without asking me first, got it?"  
"Yes, Uncle Geordi" both girls responded and humbly sat down to their tasks.  
"Now, about that deflector dish..."  
"Right" LaForge and Geordi returned to their favorite work space, "The Borg shields work...." 


	7. On the Bridge

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
"Finally" Worf growled.  
"Geordi has restored power to the weapons array" Data said, though it was hardly necessary. Both Captain and Commander Riker were engrossed in a conversation about possible battle plans, and there was no one else on the Bridge except Lt. Potter at Helm.  
"He has also restored power to the replicators and stabled the shield harmonics" Data noted.  
"Geordi is not responsible for that" his counterpart corrected, looking at the readouts from those two functions, "This is the work of Morgan and Mary Picard-Riker"  
"Children?" Worf asked, with a growl.  
"Yes" DataA replied, "Both repairs bear the mark of the twin's work" Worf just grunted and went back to work. Data would have asked for a little more clarification, but he had another question on his mind which he had been awaiting the appropriate time to ask. While waiting, he contemplated human intuition. Somehow, they could simply feel when it was the right time to do something. He found himself wishing for the ability now.  
"If you will calibrate for Lt. Worf's changes for the torpedoes" DataA said, "I will begin realigning the phase canons"  
Data nodded and began the work. He slid a glance at his counterpart, who was working studiously. He had observed that humans very often chose to initiate important conversations while both parties were busy with some other task. Councilor Troi had told him that the distraction of doing something very often helped to dissipate the building tension. She had warned him, however, that choosing the right task coupled with the right timing was much more difficult than it may appear to him.  
"Data" Both androids lifted their heads. The Rikers were standing near the open turbo lift.  
"We're going to Ten Forward" Captain Riker (distinguishable only by his green uniform) said, "You have the Bridge"  
"Aye, sir" DataA replied with a nod. The men left and the Bridge was quiet. Data let a moment of it passed and decided now was a good time to initiate conversation.  
"I was told that you constructed a child" he said.  
"Indeed. Her name is Laal" DataA replied.  
"I too attempted to create a child" Data informed his counterpart, "And named her Laal. My attempt failed. Her neural net collapsed after only a short time" DataA paused in his work.  
"I am sorry" he said, "Laal has become such an integral part of my life, that I find I can no longer imagine life without her"  
"I would be very...interested in learning how you stabilized her neural net" Data said hesitantly. His counterpart considered for a moment.  
"If you have no obligation tonight, I would be happy to go over the information with you" he said.  
"Thank you" Data replied, "I would be most appreciative"  
  
With the matter arranged, Data was very pleased with himself. He had always said that, someday, he would again attempt to create another Soongian android, another child. Perhaps after examining the Laal that succeeded he would be able to figure out what he had done wrong.  
Data wondered if this Laal was able to use conjunctions, or if she had developed emotions, as his Laal had. He wondered about her experiences at school and with Guinan in Ten Forward and if anyone had ever tried to take her away. These questions could all be saved for later, however. Data returned his focus to the job at hand, trying not to wonder if his counterpart was just as curious about his life. This thought brought the poor android around to questions about the fates of his father and brother in this reality which turned his thoughts to their fates in his own. He began replaying events in his mind, trying to determine all of the variations, and which would have been worse and which would have been preferable.  
All of this made Data wonder how humans ever managed to ignore it all and focus on what they were supposed to be doing. Had he voiced these concerns to any human on either Enterprise present, they would have told him that he was much closer to being human than he realized.  
  
Deanna, Raylyn, Troi and Jean-Luc had crowded into the Ready Room. Jean-Luc had taken stock of it as soon as he had stepped in. Despite the fact that it now served William T. Riker, who was very much a different man than Jean-Luc Picard, the Captain found that little had changed in the room. His tropical fish still swam in their tank, a thick tome of Shakespeare still sat on the corner table. The table was shared with an Alaskan landscape etched in crystal. A picture frame containing a recent family photo was the only extra clutter on the polished desk, and hung on the wall behind were what appeared to be a three part series of some sort of blue prints.  
Raylyn gathered tea orders from the replicator now operating minimally well. Jean-Luc took a seat on the couch with Troi. His natural instinct had been to take the seat behind the desk, but he had restrained himself. Deanna had taken one of the guest seats.  
"They're the kids first original engineering designs" Raylyn suddenly said as she handed Jean-Luc his tea.  
"Hmm? Oh! The blue prints" Jean-Luc nodded.  
"Yes. Some kids draw their pets or nearly unrecognizable renderings of family scenes when they're five and six" Deanna smiled.  
"Mine draw blue prints" Raylyn sighed as she seated herself in the second guest chair.  
"Does that worry you?" Troi asked, unable to help being the councilor.  
"Oh, I've been assured a thousand times they aren't developing abnormally for their intelligence level" Raylyn replied, "I'm more worried about their age level. They don't have any friends their own age"  
"Our close knit family also seems to restrict their ambitions in making friends their own age" Deanna admitted.  
"From what the Captain has told me, they sound like very happy children" Troi said.  
"Yes. They're perfectly happy as long as they're together and getting into trouble" Raylyn replied. Troi smiled.  
"I wouldn't worry about it too much" she said, "I'm sure they'll grow into the social structure"  
"And then you'll have to worry about them having too many friends" Jean-Luc said. They all shared a small chuckle together before the tension that had accompanied them into the room returned.  
"So. There's something I can help you with?" Jean-Luc finally asked. The Imzadi exchanged a look. Troi could feel their nervousness, but also their determination in the course of action they had chosen.  
"Papa, we want to do a sort of...Betazoid version of a mind meld" Raylyn told him. Jean-Luc had been part of a Vulcan mind meld, but he was not aware that Betazoids had that capability. Of course, a full telepath would have been able to enter his thoughts easily and at will. However, each of these women were only half Betazoid and were telepathic only with other telepaths which he was not.  
"How is that possible?" Troi asked, saving him the trouble of expressing his trepidation.  
"Obviously, none of us could do any such thing individually, but together I believe it would be possible to access those memories about the Borg" her counterpart explained.  
"Why not just have me relay the experiences?" Jean-Luc asked, as that had been what he was expecting.  
"Conscious memories often aren't as complete as subconscious memories" Raylyn answered.  
"And much more detail can be relayed telepathically than verbally" Troi added, sounding as if she suddenly understood.  
"Sir, it may provide a lot of information that even we don't have" Jean-Luc sighed and lowered his eyes while he thought. Having the sanctity of one's mind breached was not a pleasant contemplation. However, the benefits did seem to outweigh the drawbacks. The truth was, he consciously remembered very little of his experience. It mostly haunted his dreams and the soft, misty edges of his mental reach.  
"All right" he agreed, setting his cup down and sitting up a bit straighter.  
"It will not be painful or intrusive" Raylyn informed him, "In fact, I'm not even sure that you'll experience the memories" Jean-Luc nodded and sat back, preparing himself for some odd feeling. After each of the women had closed their eyes, however, all he felt was an uncommon sense of sleepiness. 


	8. Changing Uniforms

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
Not so for Troi. She was fully aware of everything that was going on.  
  
/This works in a tiered sort of way/ Raylyn said before they started, /Deanna will pull you in and then I will pull her in. Just try to be open/  
Troi mentally acknowledged and a second later she felt the questing presence of her counterpart. She had expected the touch to seem familiar, almost normal, the way her mother felt. It was, essentially, her own mind after all.  
Instead the touch was very alien, the way a complete stranger felt. Or even more so, the way a new entity felt. She was confused for a moment, wondering why it should be so uncomfortable.  
/Well, you've never exactly had the chance to feel your own touch/ she felt her counterpart say /It's uncomfortable for me as well/ Both Deanna and Troi took a second to explore the strange feeling. Deanna was trying to get the taste of what a life without her Imzadi would be like. Troi was discovering the joys that would accompany following her mother's advice and getting married, having a family. She had always been afraid, in the back of her mind, that marrying would mean giving something up, giving the life and work she loved, up. But here was this other version of herself handling it all quite well, without having given anything up. In fact, she was even a step ahead of Troi, for Deanna was a commander and her career options were wider than Troi's.  
Those couple of seconds passed, however, and then they both felt the tug of Raylyn. Troi had felt Raylyn before, speaking telepathically with her, but this was an entirely different sensation. While she had only noted the slight uncomfortable feeling of being linked with her counterpart, Troi now suddenly felt engulfed, drowning in someone else's essence. She had not, until then, fully realized the strength of Picard's daughter's character. She was subjected to the iron fisted control Raylyn held over herself, to the wide diversity of experiences and knowledge that had built her. Her personality was so rich in comparison to what the Councilor had been prepared for. She could only float amid the conflicting currents of confidence and self doubt, love and frustration, power and lack of control. She wondered briefly if all commanding officer's minds were so chaotic, and yet so controlled. She knew she would never find out. This was a once in a life time experience.  
As soon as the initial shock had faded, like a body getting used to cold water, they could feel Raylyn pulling them into Jean-Luc's mind. She was shielding him from them, and them from him, so that they wondered what she might be feeling. But Raylyn was looking only for the memories she needed access to. When she found them, she moved in, pulling the other two women with her and they all took a tour through a Borg's mind.  
  
Riker could almost say he was having fun with his counterpart. The man represented everything he had ever wanted, everything he had ever hoped to be. Their conversations about battle tactics had gone well, and the Commander had even gotten some new ideas from the Captain. (He had been pleased to find that he would, apparently, be aging gracefully, for, except a few gray hairs and a little more wisdom around the eyes, the face above the green uniform was the same face above the red)  
Their appetites had ignited at the same time and was even now driving them to Ten Forward for a quick lunch. As they walked the corridors they quizzed each other about their careers and about old friends. They were both careful to sidestep their posting on Betazed, but both were intrigued wit the different choices they had made.  
"Ryan Vela and Nick Dutro!" Riker grinned and shook he head, "I haven't heard from those two in years"  
"You're kidding!" Will exclaimed. The Academy friends were still close, "They both made captaincy a few years back"  
"Did Dutro ever catch that girl he was chasing?" Riker asked.  
"Bethany Halliwell" Will nodded, "Married 13 years, 2 teenagers, both queuing up to join Starfleet. Vela is still a bachelor"  
"Figures" Riker smiled. He hadn't even thought of his two Academy friends in years, but he made a note to catch up with them as soon as they got back home.  
He had been on the verge of saying something else when a strange sound stopped him. He looked to his left and his right.  
"Did you hear that?" he asked. His counterpart had stopped and was looking about too.  
"It came from the Jeffery's tube" he said. And sure enough, just as the two men stepped toward the service duct covering, 3 dark heads tumbled out.  
"You three!" Will cried, not exactly sounding angry. The three children rose quickly to their feet, looking a little nervous.  
"We were looking fro Ian, Andrew and Ana" the boy, who was taller than his apparent age probably should have allowed, answered. Riker found himself staring at the boy. He looked very familiar.  
"In the Jeffery's tubes?" Will demanded.  
"No!" one of the girls said. Both girls were the exact same height, with long black hair.  
"The Computer said they were in Ten Forward" her sister added.  
"Children aren't allowed in Ten Forward" Will told them.  
"But Dad!" the boy cried. Riker finally realized why the tall boy looked so familiar. He was an exact replica of himself! That meant these girls were the twins Jean-Luc had told him about. They certainly didn't look like much, but, none the less, they were beautiful. Riker couldn't tear his eyes away.  
"And you two" Will nodded at the girls, "This is nowhere between Engineering and home"  
"We were on our way when we ran into J.W." one of the girls said, but she was sliding looks at Riker. Her sister was staring.  
"Morgan, don't stare" Will reprimanded her. So that one was Morgan, which meant the other one was Mary. Riker thought she looked a little bit like his own mother.  
"J.W. take your sisters back to our quarters" Will ordered, "I do not need to worry about you three while we're trying to put this ship back together"  
"What about Ian, Andrew and Ana?" the boy asked.  
"Stop worrying about your cousins so much and start worrying about yourself" Will replied. The children took a step toward the open Jeffery's tube. Will stuck a hand out and gently turned them all the way he had just come from.  
"Take the turbolift" he told them. The children smiled impishly as they headed off. Riker bent and replaced the covering to the Jeffery's tube.  
"They have a little too much of Raylyn in them" Will commented as they continued on toward Ten Forward.  
"As I recall, we were a little rambunctious ourselves" Riker grinned, using the Captain' word to describe the children. He was still marveling over them. They were exactly what he'd always envisioned his children would be like.  
Will was grinning too as they finally entered Ten Forward. It was mildly busy with crewmen on their lunch breaks.  
"Hello, gentlemen" a soft voice greeted them.  
"Hello, Guinan" Both Will and Riker said. The sage woman smiled in amusement and moved off to serve the tray of drinks she was carrying. Riker was just about to suggest that they get a table when a childish scream accompanied a cold wet feeling that was spreading across his chest.  
The scream had come from a little girl, now staring up at him frightfully, standing about two feet in front of him. Riker immediately recognized her as Deanna's daughter, Ana. Not that she particularly looked like her mother, it was more something about the eyes.  
The shot of water (he hoped) came from under one of the bar stools. Even now a light haired boy was emerging with what appeared to be a homemade squirt gun. Both children slowly lined up in front of their Uncle.  
  
"Where's your brother?" Will demanded immediately. Ana and Ian exchanged a look but said nothing.  
"I think you may want to check behind the bar" Guinan whispered as she passed by. Riker followed her. Sure enough, squatting behind the bar was another boy, this time with dark hair.  
"Come on" Riker ordered and Andrew followed to stand with his siblings.  
"You know you're not allowed in here" Will said. None of the children said anything. Will sighed and tapped his badge.  
"Riker to Troi"  
"Huh? Oh! Yeah?" Wyatt's voice came back.  
"I found something of yours in Ten Forward" Will said.  
"What? Something of mine? In Ten Forward?" Wyatt sounded surprised.  
"Three something in fact" Will added.  
"Oh. All right, I'm on my way" Wyatt answered.  
"You three stay right here until he gets here" Will ordered the triplets, "Guinan will you make sure they don't take off?" The bartender nodded serenely.  
"Come on. You never know what they sprayed you with" Will said as he led Riker out of Ten Forward.  
"I was hoping it was just water" Riker admitted pulling at his uniform. Was it him, or did it seem....sticky?  
Will led him to a door that was marked "Captain, Riker, William T./ Commander, Picard, Raylyn"  
"You can borrow one of my uniforms till you can get back to you ship" Will said upon entering. Riker would have demurred but the sticky feeling was growing stickier. He was afraid if he didn't change soon, he might never be able to.  
While Will fetched him a new uniform he took a second to glance around the quarters. They were certainly different from his. The gentle grays and salmons that adorned the standard quarters had been replaced with light curtains in the windows, bright blue furniture and white-green carpeting. These were female tastes and Riker suspected that his counterpart had had little say in the decorating.  
The rest of the quarters reflected family living. There were copious amounts of framed photos sitting around, what Riker suspected was a science project of some sort, school books and a basket of laundry. His trombone sat in a corner and the bookshelves were stocked with many of his favorite selections.  
"Here you go" Will said, only a minute later, holding out the clean uniform. Riker took it, examining the gree.  
"You'll want to wash off any of the liquid that got on your skin" Will advised.  
"Right" Riker replied and headed for the washroom.  
"Data to Captain Riker" Will looked up.  
"Go ahead"  
"You are needed on the Bridge" Data reported.  
"On my way" Will replied, then gave Riker a nod, "Go ahead"  
So Will left and Riker moved into the washroom. He had to peel his uniform top off and scrub at the stick substance on his chest. When he was finally satisfied that he'd gotten it all, he pulled the green uniform on and transferred the pips. He tried not to look in the mirror, not wanting to contemplate the reflection he didn't need a mirror to see. He was ready to get out of these quarters.  
When he turned, though, he found his way blocked. Raylyn was on her toes and kissing him before he could say anything. She pressed herself into him and he automatically provided the support she was searching for. She wasn't much taller than Deanna, but her body seemed to fit to his so well. She was warm and she smelled good and it just felt so right to be kissing her. For a second, Riker considered going along with her mistake. (To save her from embarrassment of course) He considered pretending this was his wife of 14 years, that they had three brilliant, beautiful, troublesome children, that he was the Captain of the Enterprise and that all of his dreams had come true.  
But it was only a second and he gently pushed her away.  
"I think there's been a mistake" he said. One of her dark eyebrows quirked.  
"Oh" she replied, "You know, the rest it's easy to tell, but you..." And then her eyes fell to his uniform.  
"Oh! He lent it to me" Riker told her, "I got in the way of one of the Troi kids"  
"Oh, I see. Well, I hope you scrubbed well" Raylyn replied.  
Riker smiled, "I did"  
"Speaking of children..." Raylyn let her sentence trail. Riker wasn't sure if he was expected to say something or not. He had the feeling she was talking to someone else.  
"We ran into them" he finally said. Her gaze slowly lifted to his face.  
"Your husband told them to come straight back here" he added.  
"Hmm. They took a slight detour" Raylyn said. Just then the doors slid open and the three of them walked in. They threw a glance toward their mother and immediately set upon their school work.  
"Well, I had better go find a red uniform" Riker said.  
"It was nice kissing you" Raylyn chuckled as he went out the door. 


	9. Second Guessing

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
After that first day's adventures, things settled down to what could almost be called routine. By the fourth day, Wesley had the hyper-drive up and running better than Geordi had ever managed. Morgan had undone her handy work and the replicators were functioning on their own. The next day saw the rest of the ship returned to normal and running at tip top shape.  
"It's certainly been interesting" Will said, throwing his chips into the pot. Their counterparts spent their evening hours in family dinners. Will would've missed the poker games.  
"Interesting is not the word I would use" Deanna said, adding her bet.  
"Neither would I" Geordi agreed.  
"Full house" Will announced, splaying his cards on the table. Nobody bothered to exclaim over it and Worf just collected the cards while Will collected his win.  
"You've been having trouble?" Data asked.  
"Not trouble exactly" Geordi answered, "More just like....differences. I just keep finding myself questioning everything he does"  
"Do you find that your counterpart makes incorrect decisions?" Data inquired.  
"No. Actually, he does what I would probably do in his position" Geordi answered, collecting the cards Worf had passed out.  
"Second guessing yourself" Beverly smiled, throwing down a chip. Geordi opened his mouth to deny it, but he realized it was true. People normally only mentally second-guessed themselves, but he was doing it outwardly.  
"It's a very uncomfortable situation" Deanna admitted.  
"Cards" Worf called and there was a lull while everyone collected their replacement cards.  
"It's not painful is it?" Beverly asked her friend.  
"No" Deanna replied, "It's just....it feels like wearing a pair of shoes that are a half size too small"  
"Well, at least you don't have to be around your counterpart all day" Geordi pointed out. Deanna didn't reply. It was true, she couldn't really help on the wounded ship, but she still caught the occasional telepathic conversation, mostly between the children. They were efficient at blocking their mothers out, but Deanna was just different enough to catch their thoughts. She hadn't had the chance to see the children, as Will had, but she felt as if she knew them well from their silent talks.  
"I am glad I do not have a counterpart here" Worf growled. Though everybody grinned at this admission, no on was brave enough to nettle their friend about it. Instead, they finished the hand (Data won) and started another.  
"What about you, Data?" Deanna asked, "How do you work with your counterpart?"  
"I have no emotions to interfere with my work, Councilor" the android reminded her, "I find my counterpart to be every bit as efficient as...myself"  
"What about Laal, Data?" Geordi asked, "Did you learn anything from her neural net?"  
"Unfortunately, no" Data admitted, "It seems fate was the only difference" Everybody knew he'd been hoping to find that one little difference that had made all the difference, and they all felt a moment of regret for him.  
"Well, either way" Will said, handing out one last hand, "It'll be over in another few days"  
  
"How long do you think Q will leave them here?" Will asked his wife.  
"Oh, I doubt he had any definite plans" Raylyn answered, putting the finishing touches on the gift she was wrapping, "You know Q. He tends to just go with things as they come and go"  
"Ready!" Morgan announced.  
"Okay, let's go" Will and his family made their way to the holideck. The doors opened to lightly playing music and the smell of a Betazed garden.  
"Happy Anniversary!" Will called, shaking his cousin-in-law's hand.  
/Happiness, Imzadi/ Raylyn added with a hug for Deanna. The garden was a replication of the one she and Wyatt had been married in 15 years ago. Lwaxana was unable to make the occasion, but she had sent a new set of Betazoid Dinner Bells, which the triplets were trying out.  
The doors slid open again and in walked Jean-Luc, who offered his "neice" a kiss and a bottle of the very best Picard wine. The rest of the family showed up in stages with various gifts and greetings. It was to be their last full family dinner for a time, as Wesley was taking off with the Traveler at the end of the week and the children, excluding Laal, were being sent to Betazed for some time with their grandmother. The two sets of parents had decided it might be safer for a little while. It would be hard to kidnap 5 telepathic children on a world of telepaths.  
At any rate, everyone was trying to make the most of their evening, but it seemed they all had something else on their minds.  
"It think it would be fascinating" Wyatt was telling Will eagerly.  
"Yeah, but you don't have to deal with it" the Captain replied, "Did you know Ray kissed him?"  
"In my defense" his wife called from across the patio, "He was wearing your uniform" Will rolled his eyes.  
/And it's not as if I was exactly cheating was I? I don't see how you can cheat on your husband with your husband/ Deanna giggled.  
"Still," Wyatt continued on, "Isn't it...well, fascinating to find out what could've happened?"  
"Raylyn was never born and I was with Deanna?" Will asked with a smirk. Wyatt frowned at his friend. He'd been given the account of his life in the other reality by Beverly. Or, rather, her counterpart. At any rate, the point about Deanna and Will's relationship had only been hinted at. Wyatt had had to pull it out of his cousin.  
"Well" Raylyn had said, "See, I wasn't there, so, you know, obviously Deanna couldn't have formed any kind of relationship with me and so..."  
"Ray!" Wyatt had interrupted. Picards rarely skirted anything.  
"Well, they're Imzadi" she finally admitted. Wyatt had stared. Sure, Will and Deanna got along well, but...Imzadi?  
Will's laughter brought the research doctor back to the present. Will clapped the smaller man's back with another good chuckle and Wyatt realized what his expression must be saying. He smiled and moved off with his friend.  
/And how are you, Imzadi?/ Raylyn asked.  
/It's odd/ Deanna admitted, /Every time our minds brush.../  
/She feels just like you!/ Raylyn cried.  
/But I never knew how I felt to others before/ Deanna pointed out.  
/Hmm. True. Uncomfortable?/  
/No. Just odd. Like wearing shoes that are half a size too small/ Deanna replied.  
/Did you introduce her to the kids?/ her cousin inquired.  
/No. I didn't think it would be a good idea. Commander Riker only ran into them by accident/  
/But he was pleased he did. Don't you think she would be too?/ Ray asked.  
/I don't know. I tried to think about what I would want in her situation. I think it's better left alone/  
/Well, if it helps, you're not the only one having trouble with his counterpart/ Raylyn said. Both women turned their heads to glance at Geordi, who was speaking with his best friend, Data. They could see Guinan standing nearby, eavesdropping discretely.  
"It's like...he questions everything I do, Data!"  
"Do you not question every decision you make?" Data inquired. Geordi dropped his hands.  
"Well, yeah"  
"Then is this not simply a matter of the manifestation of those doubts?" Data asked. Geordi thought for a second. It was the logical conclusion. Leave it to Data to find a logical response.  
"I guess" he admitted, "It's just...weird"  
"It's probably even weirder for him" Guinan said. Geordi was little surprised. He hadn't even realized that she'd been listening.  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
"Put yourself in his shoes," Guinan told him, "You're in someone else's reality, but it's so close to your own that you don't feel out of place at all. Actually, you feel right at home. But you have to step aside and let someone else do your job. And that person makes all the same decisions you would. How would that make you feel?"  
Geordi sighed, "I'd probably start wondering if I make the right decisions" Guinan just smiled, having dispensed her wisdom, and turned to Data.  
"And what about you Data?" she asked, "How've you been getting along with your other self?"  
"It has been intriguing discussing out experiences and how they differ" the android replied, "I have found myself wondering what decisions I would have made about various things under his circumstances, and why"  
"Did you come to any conclusions, Data?" Geordi asked. Data cocked his head.  
"No" he answered. Geordi smiled.  
"Data, you're getting more human every day" 


	10. Charade

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
"Geordi and Data would like another day to finish up what they're doing" Will told Captain Picard. Jean-Luc, on the Bridge of his own ship, nodded.  
"Geordi mentioned he might like Wesley and perhaps the twins to take a look at the modifications to see anything pops out at them" The turbolift doors slid open just then and Raylyn walked onto her Bridge. Will nodded at her.  
"Commander"  
"Captain" Ray nodded back and then turned to the view screen.  
"Good morning, Raylyn" Jean-Luc nodded as well.  
"Good morning, Papa" Ray responded cheerfully.  
"The Captain and I were just discussing how much longer they might be with us" Will informed her.  
"I believe we have imparted all the information we can" Jean-Luc admitted, "Commander LaForge and Commander Data requested another day to examine their modifications"  
"I'm sure that can be arranged" Raylyn replied formally, "Q has been hanging around ever since he brought you here. I expect he'd enjoy another day's amusement"  
"I wasn't aware that Q was still here" Jean-Luc admitted. He was more than a bit surprised. In his own universe, had Q been there the entire week there would have been no doubt. He would have been popping in and out all over both ships.  
"Oh he wasn't going to abandon this spectacle" Will retorted.  
"He had a fondness for watching us struggle" Raylyn added.  
"Now that I'm aware of" Jean-Luc replied.  
Before Will or Raylyn could answer, a small beep from their tactical station had them turning.  
"Sir!" Worf called from his own tactical station, "Three Klingon Birds of Prey are approaching"  
"Lieutenant?" Will turned to their own security officer. The woman nodded.  
"Why are the Klingons out here?" Raylyn muttered.  
"Could the Fleet have heard about the attack?" Will suggested, "Sent them out to lend a hand?"  
"No" his wife answered, "They're agitated."  
"The Klingons are your allies, are they not?" Jean-Luc asked.  
"Yes, but...they're a suspicious race." Will answered, and then, seemingly realizing what he'd said, he nodded at Worf on the other ship and added, "No offense" Worf didn't reply, but sort of nodded in acknowledgement.  
"Captain?" Will looked down at his wife. A slow, mischievous smile that he recognized but hadn't seen in years, was spreading across her face. He knew he was in for it now.  
"I have an idea"  
"So I guessed" Will replied.  
"What are you thinking, Commander?" Jean-Luc asked. Raylyn's eyes were glittering with anticipation. Will hadn't seen her so excited in a very long time, not since before J.W. was born. Motherhood had mellowed her, but everyday he saw the wild, adventurous girl he had first fallen in love with struggling to get out. He wasn't about to deny that woman life. In less than a split second he decided to go along with whatever it was she wanted to do. So it was he didn't even raise and eyebrow when Raylyn turned to her father and said:  
"Papa, can we borrow Worf for a bit?"  
  
The Bridge crew were all trying to look as if they had no idea the Klingons were even out there. Data was doing his calculations at Opps, Will was looking over the last of the repair reports and Raylyn and Deanna were carrying on a silent conversation.  
"You know if this is Duras or any of his supporters this isn't going to work" Will said without looking up from his reports.  
"Well, then, we'll just have to hope it's not Duras" Raylyn replied, more than a hint of amusement in her voice.  
/You're having fun!/ Deanna accused.  
/Of course I am!/ Ray replied with another smile, /I haven't done anything this fun in years!/ Her Imzadi had noticed more than Will the dimming of that fire that used to swell out of control in her breast. Not that it had burnt out, more that it had steadied. And while there was no doubt that Raylyn was very happy with her life, her husband and her Imzadi occasionally felt her longing for wilder days. So Deanna just smiled and prayed that this insane idea, like so many of Ray's others, would turn out just as she planned.  
The Klingons drew closer. The Bridge crew continued on with their work, innocent as you like. Lt. Mar-Rio, security, announced as soon as the ships had reached hailing distance and 3 seconds later the head ship was hailing them.  
"On screen" Will ordered and he stood. Raylyn remained seated, but the Captain knew she wished she could be the one to do this.  
"Gowron" Will nodded at the Klingon who's face appeared on the view screen. He hoped he was doing an adequate job of hiding his relief. He hadn't played a good game of poker in a while.  
"Captain Riker" Gowron inclined his own head, "It seems something peculiar is going on here"  
"Peculiar? In what way?" Will asked. He, of course, knew exactly what the Klingon was talking about, but Gowron would expect him to hedge, so that was exactly what he was going to do.  
"Our sensors have detected some strange things from the other Federation Flagship" His use of the word "Flagship" immediately alerted everyone to the fact that Gowron had least figured out part of the puzzle.  
"Ah, that" Will nodded, playing Ray's game, "Yes. Might I suggest a meeting to discuss those readings?"  
"Aboard your ship, I suppose" Gowron for a second, looked as if he would say no. His lips curled slightly, "Yes. I'll transport over immediately"  
"Splendid" Will replied and the image blinked out. The Captain sighed and turned to his First Officer.  
"Well, Commander, you've run into some luck" he paused and raised a brow, "Again" Ray was holding back a grin.  
"Luck. Protects small children, ships named Enterprise, and little girls named Raylyn Picard!" she chuckled.  
"Come on. We'd better get down to the transporter room" Will said, "Mr. Data, please alert Mr. Worf."  
  
"Aye, sir" the android replied and rose from his seat.  
"Deanna, you have the Bridge"  
"Aye, sir" his cousin replied and then Will followed Ray off the Bridge. They were just in time for Gowron to miss their entrance.  
"Councilor Gowron, welcome on board" Will greeted their guest, "I believe you know my first officer, Commander Picard" Gowron had once hidden Raylyn in his own home, as a favor to Worf. A group of Klingons had been trying to ignite a war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Their plan had been to assassinate the daughter of the Federation's most prominent captain: Raylyn. She had been barely 19 at the time. Still, in the week she spent under Gowron's care she had greatly impressed the Klingon. He had even shown up at her wedding, alongside Worf. She was the only human he truly admired, or even trusted.  
"A pleasure, Commander, as always" Somehow the man made the greeting sound sinister, despite its usual friendly Raylyn personally, he had no love for Starfleet. One of his biggest gripes with Worf was the Chancellor's connections with Starfleet through his adoptive parents and his close friendship with Jean-Luc Picard. Still, he had supported Worf over Duras, who very few Klingons trusted to follow their strict Code of Honor anymore. "Well, shall we?" Will suggested, gesturing for the Councilor to precede him. Their journey to the Bridge was quiet and uneventful. Ray's eyes were dancing. Will was worried about what would happen if Gowron discovered their plot.  
/He would think it was a stroke of tactical genius/ his wife assured him. All he could do was square his shoulders in reply. They led Gowron across the Bridge to the observation lounge. Ray could feel his patience waning as they all took seats.  
"Now. That ship. It's an exact replica of the Enterprise, right down to the designation painted across its hull!" Gowron growled, "What is going on here?"  
"I believe there is someone better to explain that" Raylyn answered. Right on cue, the doors separated and in walked Worf, decked out in full Klingon regalia. He was an impressive sight, holding himself rigidly beneath the layers of warrior's uniform and honor medals. Gowron stood immediately. Raylyn could feel his shock and spurt of suspicion.  
"Chancellor!" he growled. Worf walked around him and took the seat Will had just vacated.  
"Gowron" he replied calmly. Gowron did not return to his seat. He was growing more confused, and thus angrier, by the second. If he'd been human, he'd have been sputtering.  
"I believed you were on the home world" he finally managed.  
"That was my intention" Worf replied. There was a lengthy pause, in which no on said anything. Gowron would not ask questions of the Chancellor, the Chancellor would not offer explanations to an underling, and the two Federation representatives had no right to interfere. Not that they weren't going to anyway.  
"Chancellor Worf has been providing his support in our effort to fight the Borg" Will finally declared. Gowron glowered and lowered into his seat again.  
"The Borg?"  
"We've been collecting information, developing better weapons and strategy to fight them with" Ray expounded.  
"Here?" Gowron sneered, "In the middle of nowhere?"  
"The remote location was necessary to keep the operation a secret" Will said.  
"Secret?" Gowron growled. Ray could feel his hackles raise. What explanation could they provide? The, apparently, didn't have to.  
"Gowron" Worf snapped, "I want you to return to your duties" Gowron erased the snarl from his lips. He rose swiftly from his seat. He glowered at them all for a moment.  
"Chancellor, Captain" he nodded at each of the men and then stormed out. As soon as the doors had closed behind him, there was a bright flash of light and Q was sitting in his place.  
"Well, that was fun!" he exclaimed.  
"Hmm. That's exactly what I was going to say" Raylyn replied, a grin spreading across her face.  
"Well, you know what they say about great minds" Q observed.  
"I had better go contact the Chancellor" Will said without looking at Q. He kissed the top of his wife's head as he passed, and left for his ready room.  
"If you no longer require me, I'll return to my ship" Worf said.  
"Of course. Thank you for your help" Raylyn replied with a happy smile.  
"It was...my pleasure, Commander" the Klingon admitted, and then he too was gone.  
"Even pea brain enjoyed that one" Q commented.  
"Don't call him 'pea-brain' Q" Ray scolded.  
"But really, having him impersonate himself? Not much risk in that, now was there? I can remember a time where you would have come up with something much more daring" He cocked his head at her, "I think you're getting rusty" Ray smiled indulgently.  
"I assume by your appearance our time with Enterprise has come to an end"  
"All good things, my dear" Q said, rising from his chair to stare out the window. You could see the other Enterprise very clearly from this position.  
"Well, it was nice to see Papa again" Q twisted just a bit to study her for a second. He knew how hard her father's death had hit her.  
"Actually, I was just on my way to see dear Jean-Luc" he informed her.  
"Just don't blink them away before we all get the chance to say goodbye" Ray instructed him, heading out to the Bridge where she had work to do, "Humans require closer"  
The doors closed behind her and the room was empty. 


	11. Finnishings

Another Favor  
  
Star Trek: The Next Generation, all characters and ideas there associated are the sole ownership of someone that's not me.  
All original ideas and characters contained in the following story are the sole property of J.L. Scott.  
  
"Hello, Q" Troi said politely, as the being appeared on the Bridge.  
"Councilor" Q replied in a stately voice. He really didn't mind Deanna all that much. Well, at least, she hadn't given him reason to yet.  
The ready room doors opened and Jean-Luc walked out.  
"Q" he exclaimed, a bit surprised, "What are you doing here?"  
"Did you miss me?" Q asked sweetly. Jean-Luc ignored him.  
"I assume Raylyn's little charade went well" he commented, taking the seat Troi had just vacated.  
"The Klingons are gone!" Q crowed, and then looked behind him, "Well, almost" he amended. Worf stared at him.  
"Well, then" Jean-Luc gave Q a questioning look.  
"It's time for you to go home, Jean-Luc" Q told him, "It's past your curfew"  
"Ah. I see. Well, as soon as Geordi and Data are back on board..."  
He was interrupted by a bright light. Both Data and LaForge appeared on the Bridge.  
"Captain?" Geordi asked.  
"It's all right, Geordi" Jean-Luc told him, "It appears out time is up. Mr. Worf, will you please hail the other ship?"  
"Aye, Captain" Worf replied. Coincidentally, (or perhaps not) Riker and Crusher both stepped onto the Bridge just then.  
"Papa?" Raylyn said as soon as her image had filled the forward view screen.  
"Q has informed us that it's time to be getting back" Jean-Luc told her.  
"Mmm. I thought he might" she answered. The picture drew back to reveal the rest of her command crew gathered on the Bridge.  
"I'm sorry we can't stick around and see how those modifications work out for you" LaForge said.  
"I'm sure they'll be a lot of help" Geordi replied.  
"Good luck, Commander" Will nodded.  
"And you, Captain" Riker replied.  
/Goodbye/ Deanna called. Troi smiled back. There was a slight pause while they all took in the past week.  
"Au revoir, Papa" Raylyn smiled.  
  
A few seconds before, or a few seconds later...  
  
"Back home, safe and sound" Q said merrily. They all took stock of the Bridge and themselves. Nothing seemed to have changed, but Raylyn and her ship were gone.  
"In case any of you care to know, all that work paid off. They defeat the Borg in the end" the nearly all powerful being told them.  
"Thank you, Q"  
"Why of course, Jean-Luc!" Q grinned, "What are friends for?" And with that he disappeared.  
"Well, that was an interesting experience" Will commented as the Command Crew all drifted to their normal places.  
"Indeed, Number One" Jean-Luc agreed, "Indeed"  
  
Raylyn snuggled into her husband's arms underneath the covers. She felt relaxed and happy. They now had a weapon against the Borg Threat, and she'd gotten to see her father again.  
"Well, that was an interesting experience" Will whispered into her hair as they started to drift off to sleep.  
"Indeed, my love" she smiled sleepily, "Indeed" 


End file.
